Modular reusable shipping crate

ABSTRACT

A system, method, and device for shipping, transporting, storing, and managing logistics of a variety of cargo. A crate is disclosed that allows for easy and inexpensive return shipment (reverse logistics) after use through a collapsible, interlocking system of a pallet base, foldable side wall assemblies, and a lid that can be removably connected to one another. The crate can utilize guide protrusions and corresponding guide recesses to fit the components together. The height of the crate can be increased by additional tiers of side walls. Latch assemblies can be utilized to fasten adjacent components together. The crate may include a tracking or monitoring device that can monitor one or more of humidity, temperature, tilt, impact, vibration, and variety of desired conditions. The system may include Bluetooth beacons on each of the components and a Bluetooth sensor in the monitoring device in the pallet base to monitor disassembled components.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patentdisclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patentfile or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional patent application claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/891,340, filed Aug. 24, 2019,entitled MODULAR REUSABLE SHIPPING CRATE, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/037,981, filed Jun. 11, 2020, entitled REUSABLESHIPPING PLATFORM FOR TRANSPORTING MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS,and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/001,603, filed Aug. 24, 2020,which is now U.S. Pat. No. 11,312,534, entitled MODULAR REUSABLESHIPPING CRATE, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

Not Applicable

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to shipping cargo, and moreparticularly, to the methods, systems, and devices for transport,storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.

BACKGROUND

Wood shipping crates are the standard container for shipping a largevariety of cargo. Such crates are made from heavy and bulky woodenmaterials. An example of cargo that is shipped in wood crates is dataserver racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, householdappliances and other high-tech machines and components. Wood crates areeconomically, inefficient, resource and energy intensive, andenvironmentally destructive. Despite advances in real-time assettracking technology, wood crates typically do not contain technologythat allows for condition and location monitoring. However, these cratesremain the primary container used for shipping many products today. Thevast majority of these wood crates are built to transport a particularproduct, and are used only one time before being disposed of. Woodcrates are also heavy and difficult to maneuver, even when empty.

What is needed then are improvements to shipping crate technologies.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription below. This Summary is not intended to identify key featuresor essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedto be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

The present disclosure generally relates to a reusable containerplatform for the transport and storage of a large variety of cargo,including data server racks, blades, cart-based healthcare devices, andassociated physical and electronic components. The crate can allow foreasy and inexpensive return shipment (reverse logistics) through acollapsible, interlocking system that in some embodiments can reduce theunit height by more than 70% of its standard assembled shipping heightand allows for return shipment volumes that are reduced by as much as82%.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a crate including a pallet baseand an enclosure frame. The enclosure frame can have a first end andsecond end opposite the first end, the first end of the enclosure frameremovably connectable to the pallet base to define a storage volumebetween the pallet base and the enclosure frame, the enclosure framehaving four side walls forming four corners on the enclosure frame whenthe first end of the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base,each of the side walls being pivotally connected to adjacent side wallsat corresponding corners of the enclosure frame. The crate can include alid removably connectable to the second end of the enclosure frame.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a crate including a palletbase and a pair of side wall assemblies. Each side wall assembly caninclude: a side wall having a first side wall end and a second side wallend; a first side wall portion pivotally connected to the first sidewall end, and a second side wall portion pivotally connected to thesecond side wall end; wherein the first side wall portions of each sidewall assembly can be removably connected to each other and the secondside wall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connectedto each other to form an enclosure frame including the first side wall,the second side wall, a third side wall including the first side wallportions, and a fourth including the fourth side wall portions, theenclosure frame having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom endremovably connectable to the pallet base. The crate can include a lidremovably connectable to the top end of the enclosure frame.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargocomprising: at a first location, providing a crate having a pallet base,an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frame removably connectedto the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure frame having one or moreside walls pivotally connected to one another; placing the cargo in thecrate; transporting the crate with the cargo to a desired location;unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lid from the enclosureframe and removing the enclosure frame from the pallet base; folding theside walls of the enclosure frame onto one another to place theenclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking the folded enclosureframe between the pallet base and the lid; and transporting the stackedcrate back to the first location.

The present invention, in one embodiment, contemplates that the crate ismade of plastics, metal components, rubber and other solid materials andcan protect various sized cargo through a stacking modular interlockingdesign that utilizes guide protrusions and corresponding guide recessesor cavities to fit the components together and limit how they can movewith respect to each other. The pallet, side walls and lid can beconnected utilizing these guide protrusions and corresponding shapedrecesses, along with multiple latch assemblies to removably connectvarious components of the crate together. The height of the crate can beincreased by additional tiers of side walls above the pallet. Acontainer latch is designed and used in one embodiment to fastenadjacent components to each other. The container latch is capable offastening the side walls to each other or the pallet and the lid to theside walls. Through various accessories and inserts the container canalso be used to ship a wide array of commodities including electronicequipment, machinery, dry goods and retail merchandise. The crateincludes a condition and location monitoring device in a small enclosedpocket of the pallet that monitors humidity, temperature in the palletas well as detecting tilt, impact, and vibration. The device also senseslight when the crate is opened as well as the geographic coordinates ofthe crate via a global positioning sensor (GPS) and triangulation ofcell towers from a cellular chip. Remote inventorying of disassembledcomponents can be performed utilizing Bluetooth beacons on each of thecomponents and a Bluetooth sensor in the condition and locationmonitoring device in the pallet base.

It is understood that both the foregoing general description and thefollowing detailed description are exemplary and exemplary only, and arenot restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Together with the description, they serve to explain theobjects, advantages, and principles of the invention.

The drawings and sketches included with this submission are a set ofengineered production plans that have been used to produce full sizeprototypes. The figures include a 3D image of the fully assembled unitas well as line art from the production drawings complete with specificdimensions, measurements, material call outs, thicknesses and requiredaccessories for a completed product. The figures include the maincomponents, which include the risers, pallet, side walls and the lid andexploded images of all requisite parts. Structural elements in thepallet system such as the riser with vibration dampeners and thesupporting metal tubing of the pallet are shown. The two elements forconnecting of the components include the latching system and therectangular protrusions and the cavities that they fit into. Alsoincluded is a line art image of the unit in folded down or collapsedreturn shipping mode showing the inventive interlocking methodincorporated into the design. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary single-tier crate of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another exemplary two-tier crate of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary three-tier crate of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a riser assembly of acrate of the present disclosure with included EPDM dampeners (shockisolators).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the riser assembly of FIG. 4connected to a pallet base.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pallet base of the crate in FIG. 1including a ramp assembly.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the pallet assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an upper and lower perspective view of exemplary ramps for thecrate of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a channel associated with the ramp ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective and side view of fixture rails for the palletbase of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11a is a perspective view of a reinforcement frame for the palletbase including apertures for receiving the ramps.

FIG. 11b is a detailed perspective view of the reinforcement frame ofFIG. 11 a.

FIG. 11c is a detailed perspective view of a ramp being received in theapertures on the pallet base.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a side wall assembly of the crate of FIG.1.

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a hinge assembly of the side wallassembly of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14a is an upper perspective view of a pallet base and side wallconnection of a crate of the present disclosure that utilizesrectangular guide protrusions and corresponding rectangular guidecavities.

FIG. 14b is a lower perspective view of a pallet base and side wallconnection of the crate of FIG. 14 a.

FIG. 15a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to side wallconnection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 15b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to side wallconnection of the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 16a is a lower perspective view of the side wall to lid connectionof the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 16b is an upper perspective view of the side wall to lid connectionof the two-tiered crate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a lid and lid latchassemblies of a crate of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of an exemplary latch assembly of a crate ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an exemplary rectangular guideprotrusion (“teeth”) for a crate of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a single-tier crateof the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for returnshipping.

FIG. 20b is a front elevation view of an embodiment of a single-tiercrate of the present disclosure disassembled and collapsed for returnshipping.

FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of two single-tier crates stacked ontop of each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of theinvention, some aspects of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the described embodiments or the application anduses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary”or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or“illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations. All of the implementationsdescribed below are exemplary implementations provided to enable personsskilled in the art to practice the disclosed inventions and are notintended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, there is nointention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented inthe preceding technical field, background, summary, or the followingdetailed description.

In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing,for the sake of clarity. In addition, positional terms such as “upper,”“lower,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” etc. refer to the system or componentsthereof when in the orientation shown in the drawing. A person of skillin the art will recognize that the system can assume differentorientations when in use.

The present disclosure includes a device, system, and method fortransporting cargo via a modular reusable shipping crate. Further, thepresent invention discloses methods, systems, and devices for transport,storage, and logistics management of a variety of cargo.

As shown in FIG. 1, one aspect of the present disclosure is a crate 50including a pallet base 5 and an enclosure frame 52. The enclosure frame52 can have a first or bottom end 54 and second top end 56 opposite thefirst end 54, the first end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 removablyconnectable to the pallet base 5 to define a storage volume 68 (beneaththe lid 66 in FIG. 16a ) between the pallet base 5 and the enclosureframe 52, the enclosure frame 52 having four side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58c, and 58 d forming four corners 60 a, 60 b, 60 c, 60 d, on theenclosure frame 52 when the first end 54 of the enclosure frame 52 isconnected to the pallet base 5, each of the side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58 c,and 58 d being pivotally connected to adjacent side walls atcorresponding corners 60 a, 60 b, 60 c, and 60 d of the enclosure frame52. The crate 50 can include a lid 66 removably connectable to thesecond end 56 of the enclosure frame 52. In some embodiments, when theenclosure frame 52 is connected to the pallet base 5, the enclosureframe 52 can include first and second side walls 58 a and 58 bpositioned opposite one another on the pallet base 5 and third andfourth side walls 58 c and 58 d positioned opposite one another on thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, each of the third and fourth sidewalls includes: a first side wall portion 15 b pivotally connected tothe first side wall 58 a; and a second side wall portion 15 c pivotallyconnected to the second side wall 58 b, wherein the first and secondside wall portions 15 b and 15 c are removably connectable to oneanother when the enclosure frame 52 is connected to the pallet base 5.

Another aspect of the present disclosure, shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 20b, is a crate 50 including a pallet base 5 and a pair of side wallassemblies 62 a and 62 b. Each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b caninclude a side wall 15 a having a first side wall end 64 a and a secondside wall end 64 b. A first side wall portion 15 b can be pivotallyconnected to the first side wall end 64 a, and a second side wallportion 15 c can be pivotally connected to the second side wall end 64b; wherein the first side wall portions 15 b of each side wall assembly62 a and 62 b can be removably connected to each other and the secondside wall portions 15 c of each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can beremovably connected to each other to form an enclosure frame 52including the first side wall 58 a, the second side wall 58 b, a thirdside wall 58 c including the first side wall portions 15 b, and a fourthside wall 58 d including the second side wall portions 15 b, theenclosure frame 52 having a bottom end 54 and a top end 56, the bottomend 54 removably connectable to the pallet base 5. The crate 50 caninclude a lid 66 removably connectable to the top end 56 of theenclosure frame 52.

FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62b. The side walls 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c of the sidewall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can include a blow-molded long main sidewall 15 a that is pivotally connected to a first side wall portion 15 band second side all portion 15 c wall on corresponding ends 64 a and 64b of the main side wall 15 a, the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c beingshorter than the main side wall 15 a so the side wall portions 15 b and15 c can be foldable onto the main side wall 15 a during storage of thecrate 50. In some embodiments, the first and second side wall portions15 b and 15 c can be of a similar size but are different patterns toallow for an overlapping and interlocking relationship, as shown in FIG.1, between opposing first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 cwhen multiple side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b are connected togetherby connecting first and second side wall portions 15 b and 15 ctogether.

In some embodiments, the side wall assemblies 62 a can include one ormore a handles 16 that can be made of either plastics, metal or acombination of both. In some embodiments, each short side wall portion15 b and 15 c can include two container handles 16 that can be used tomanipulate the crate 50. For easier repair, the handles 16 can be heldin place by screws. The side wall portions 15 b and 15 c can includehandle recesses 86 for each handle 16, and the handle 16 s can spanacross corresponding handle recesses 86. The handle recesses 86 canprovide clearance for a user to grab the handles 16 while allowing thehandles 16 to be oriented generally flush with the side wall portions 15b and 15 c. Having a flush orientation of the handles 16 with the sidewall portions 15 b and 15 c can help reduce damage to the handles 16during transport of the crate 50. While the handles are shown on sidewall portions 15 b and 15 c, in other embodiments, handles 16 and handlerecesses 16 can be disposed on the main side wall 15 a of the side wallassemblies 62 a and 62 b.

The side wall 15 a in some embodiments can include indentations 19 awhere shipping labels or other information can be located. The side wall15 a can also include additional areas 19 b where a company logo orother information can be located. In some embodiments, the side walls 15a can include multiple areas 20 wherein the two sides of the blow moldedplastic for the side wall 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c cometogether and contact. These contact areas 20 can help provide strengthand rigidity to the long main side wall 15 a. Similar contact areas 21can be included in the short side wall portions 15 a and 15 c thatprovide strength and rigidity for those pieces. In some embodiments, theside wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can include an interlockingprotrusion 22 extending from on the first and/or second side wallportions 15 b and 15 c that creates an overlap and interlockingarranging with an interlocking recess 88 on an opposite side wallportion 15 b and/or 15 c when the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b areput together to form a tier 70, as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 20 b, the short side wall portions 15 band 15 c can include one or more stacking protrusion 23. When the shortside wall portions 15 b and 15 c are rotated in on the main side wall 15a to allow for stacking of multiple side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b,these stacking protrusions 23 can into corresponding stacking cavities24 on the main side wall 15 a of the side wall assembly 62 a and 62 bstacked on top of it. This feature allows the side wall assemblies 62 aand 62 b to nest on each other and to be stacked easily during storageand transportation of empty and disassembled crates 50.

FIG. 13 shows the hinge assembly 90. The hinge assembly incorporates ahinge pin 25 that can be metal or plastic. The hinge pin 25 can bereceived through pin apertures defined on ends of the side wall 15 asand the side wall portion 15 c. An upper cap 26 and a lower cap 28 cancover opposing ends of the hinge pin 25 once received throughcorresponding side wall 15 a and side wall portion 15 c. The hingeassembly 90 can include multiple bushings that allow the hinge pin 25and side wall 15 a and side wall portion 15 c to rotate on each otherand help reduce wear on the components of the side wall assemblies 62 aand 62 b. In some embodiments, the hinge middle bushing is made ofrubber or a similar pliable material with the upper and lower bushingsbeing made from plastic.

The crate 50 having side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58 c, and 58 d that arepivotally connected to one another, or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62b with side walls 15 a and side wall portions 15 b and 15 c pivotallyconnected to one another can allow the side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58 c, and58 d and/or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 to be removed from thepallet base 5 and folded onto themselves. The side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58c, and 58 d or side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can then be foldedinto a flat orientation such that the enclosure frame 52 and the sidewalls contained therein can be stacked between the pallet base 5 and thelid 66 for easy reshipping of the crate 50 back to an original orotherwise desired location.

In some embodiments, the crate 50 can include a set of risers 6, apallet base 5, one, two, three, or more tiers of side walls and a lid66. For example, FIG. 1 depicts a single tier crate 50 with the palletbase 5, a single or first tier 70 of side walls and a lid 66. By way ofanother example, FIG. 2 depicts a two-tier crate 50 with a pallet base5, a first tier of sidewalls 70, a second tier of sidewalls 72, and alid 66. In such embodiments, the second tier of sidewalls 72 can bestacked on top of the first tier of sidewalls 70, such that the firstand second tiers of sidewalls 70 and 72 together form the enclosureframe 52. The first tier of side walls 70 can define the first or lowerend 54 of the enclosure frame 52 that is removably connectable to thepallet base 5, and the second tier of sidewalls 72 can define the secondor upper end 56 of the enclosure frame 52, with the lid 66 beingremovably connected to the second or upper end 56 of the enclosure frame52. FIG. 3 depicts a three-tier crate 50 with a pallet base 5, a firsttier of sidewalls 70, a second tier of sidewalls 72, a third tier ofsidewalls 74 and a lid 66. In such embodiments, the second tier ofsidewalls 72 can be removably connected between the first and thirdtiers of side walls 70 and 74, such that the first tier of side walls 70can define the first or lower end 54 of the enclosure frame 52, and thethird tier of sidewalls 74 can define the second or upper end 56 of theenclosure frame 52. Each tier of sidewalls 70, 72, 74 in someembodiments can include four sidewalls to form a substantiallyrectangular crate 50. In other embodiments, each tier of sidewalls 70,72, 74 can include 3, 4, 5, or 6, etc. pivotally connected side walls toaccommodate cargo of various shapes.

FIG. 4 depicts the riser assembly 6. The riser assembly 6 can include ariser body 1 that can be composed of any plastics or glass-filledplastic material. In some embodiments, nine riser assemblies 6 can beconnected to the pallet base 5 and provide a height sufficient forinserting a forklift or pallet jack beneath the pallet base 5. The riserbody 1 may include a cut out on the outside wall on one or both sideswith a rod 2 inserted in the riser body 1 and accessible through theopening that allows for straps or other materials to loop around or hookto the rod 2 in fastening cargo or crate components.

The riser assembly 6 can also include an upper shock dampener 3. Theupper shock dampener 3 may include a larger size and durometer orhardness and serves to reduce the transmission of high external shockson the internal cargo contained within the crate 50. The riser assembly6 can also include a lower shock dampener 4. The lower shock dampener 4is smaller in size and may include a lower durometer or hardness toreduce vibration. The lower shock dampener 4 also may include aconcentric ring of material removed to reduce vibration transmissionthrough the riser assembly 6 into the pallet base 5. The interior solidportion is sufficient to provide tension against the nut and boltassembly during shocks or impacts where compression occurs. The riserassembly 6 can be fastened to the pallet body 5 utilizing at least onebolt and nut fasteners through the centerline of the riser as shown inthe cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. In some embodiments, two bolt andnut fasteners can be used to secure each riser assembly 6 to the palletbase 5. The pallet base 5 can rest atop the upper shock dampener 3 suchthat the upper shock dampener 3 is compressed when weight is applied tothe top of the pallet base 5.

FIG. 6 depicts a pallet assembly 45. The pallet assembly 45 can includethe pallet base 5, the riser assemblies 6, a pair of channels 7, a pairof ramps 8, and fixation rails 9. The pallet base 5 rests on the uppershock dampener which nests in the riser body. The pallet base 5 can bemade from a variety of plastics or metals, with strength, rigidity andsafety against breakage being the primary considerations.

FIG. 7 depicts an exploded view of the pallet assembly 45. The palletassembly 45 can include a pocket 10 in the surface of the pallet base 5that allows for placement of a tracking device 48 for condition andlocation monitoring. The pocket 10 can have a lid 46 that can be screwedin to protect the tracking device 48. The lid 10 may have at least onehole in it to allow light and air to be transmitted to allow thetracking device 48 to measure humidity, temperature, and the presence oflight in the crate 50.

In some embodiments, the bottom of the pallet base 5 may includemultiple cavities or channels (not shown) that include perimetricchannels that run around the perimeter of the pallet base 5 and otherchannels or cavities that run across the pallet base 5 in perpendiculardirections from the perimetric channels or cavities. In someembodiments, the pallet base 5 can include a supporting metal frame 11that can nest inside these lower cavities or channels in the pallet base5. The cavities or channels in the pallet base 5 can generally conformto a shape of the metal frame 11. The frame 11 can include metal tubingthat can be welded together or cast to provide rigidity to a plasticpallet base 5, in order to help reinforce the pallet base 5 to supportheavy cargo such as data servers and electrical panels. The metal tubingcan run along the edges of a longer side of the pallet base 5 and canhave multiple sections running perpendicular and connecting the two longsides together.

In some embodiments, the pallet base 5 can include sets of two threadedrods 13 that are welded or connected in some other fashion to a flatpiece of metal. These rods 13 may be used in the center section of thepallet base 5 to bolt the riser assemblies 6 and isolators 3 and 4 tothe pallet base 5. Bolts 14 may also be used on the edges of the palletbase 5 to connect some of the riser assemblies 6, pallet base 5 andfixation rails 9 together.

Referring now to FIGS. 14a and 14b , the perimeter of the pallet base 5can be lined with a first set of guide protrusions 12, or “teeth”. Theseguide protrusions 12 can be generally rectangular in some embodiments,but could also be in the form of other geometric shapes (circles, oval,square, trapezoidal, etc.). The crate 50 can also include a first set ofguide recesses 76 on the first end of the enclosure frame 52. Each ofthe guide projections 12 on the pallet base can be receivable in acorresponding guide recess 76 defined in the first end of the enclosureframe 52, or the side walls positioned immediately above the pallet base5, to align the enclosure frame 52 and the side walls of the crate 50 onthe pallet base 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 16a and 16b , a top or second end 56 of theenclosure frame 52 can include a second set a second set of guideprotrusions 78, and the bottom of the lid 66 can include a second set ofguide recesses 80. Each of the second set of protrusions 78 on theenclosure frame 52 can be received in a corresponding guide recess ofthe second set of guide recesses 80 in the lid 66 to nest and align thelid 66 on the enclosure frame 52.

Referring now to FIGS. 15a and 15b , in embodiments with multiple tiersof side walls, each of the tiers of side walls 70 and 72 can be alignedand removably connected with one another using additional sets of guideprotrusions and corresponding guide recesses. For instance, a top of thefirst tier of side walls 70 can include a third set of guide protrusions82, and the bottom of the second tier of sidewalls 72 can include athird set of guide recesses 84. Each of the third set of protrusions 82on the first tier of sidewalls 70 can be received in a correspondingguide recess of the third set of guide recesses 84 to nest and align thefirst tier of sidewalls 70 with the second tier of sidewalls 72 on theenclosure frame 52. Additional tiers of sidewalls can be removablyconnected in succession using similar sets of guide projections andguide recesses.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, 12, and 14-16, in some embodiments, the crate 50can include a first plurality of latch assemblies 92 that can removablyconnect the pallet base 5 to the first end 54 of the enclosure frame 52and side walls 58 a, 58 b, 58 c, and 58 d. In some embodiments, thecrate 50 can include a second plurality of latch assemblies 94 operableto removably connect the second end 56 of the enclosure frame 52 to thelid 66. Additional pluralities of tier latch assemblies 96 can beprovided to removably connect subsequent tiers 70, 72, and 74 together.In still other embodiments, the short side wall portions 15 b and/or 15c can include one or more side wall portion latch assemblies 98 that areoperable to connect the side wall portions 15 b and 15 c to opposingside wall portions 15 b and 15 c on side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 bbeing connected together via their side wall portions 15 b and 15 c. Theone or more side wall portion latch assemblies 98 can include at least athird side wall latch assemblies connecting first and second side wallportions 15 b and 15 c of the third side wall 58 c and a fourth sidewall latch assembly connecting first and second side wall portions 15 band 15 c of the fourth side wall 58 d.

As such, the horizontal latch assemblies 98 can be utilized to connectdifferent side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b together to form theenclosure frame 52. The first plurality of latch assemblies 92 and thefirst sets of guide protrusions 12 and guide recesses 76 can be used toalign and removably connect the pallet base 5 to the lower end 54 of theenclosure frame 52. The second plurality of latch assemblies 94 and thesecond sets of guide protrusions 78 and guide recesses 82 can be used toalign and removably connect the lid 66 to the top end 56 of theenclosure frame 52, and the tier latch assemblies 96 and additional setsof guide protrusions 82 and guide recesses 84 between successive tiersof side walls 70, 72, and 74 can be used to align and removably connectsuccess tiers of side walls together. In some embodiments, each sidewall 15 a on each side wall assembly 62 a and 62 b can have at least 3vertical latch assemblies 92 connecting the side wall 15 a to the palletbase 5, at least 3 vertical latch assemblies 94 or 96 connecting theside wall 15 a to the lid 66 or to an above tier of sidewalls 66 or 72,73 respectively, and at least 2 horizontal latches 98 connecting pairsof side wall portions 15 b and 15 c together. At least one additionalvertical latch can be used to connect one or more of the first andsecond side wall portions 15 b and/or 15 c to the pallet base 5 and/orthe lid 66 for additional stability.

FIG. 18 shows an exemplary latch assembly 92. In some embodiments, allof the latch assemblies 92, 94, 96, and 98 discussed herein can havesimilar mechanics and resemble the latch assembly 92 shown in FIG. 18.The catch 36 can be made of plastic and is the catch piece over whichthe elastic (rubber, EPDM, etc.) tensioner 41 is placed before closingthe lever 40. The lever 40 can be made of plastic and is held in placeby and rotatably disposed on lever housing members 38 and 39 which canboth be made of plastic in some embodiments. Bolts 37 can hold all ofthe latch pieces in place. The catch 36 can be connected to onecomponent to be secured by the latch, and the tensioner 41 and lever 40can be connected to another component to be secured by the latch. Thecomponents (for instance the pallet base 5 and enclosure frame,enclosure frame and lid, etc.) can be positioned near each other suchthat the tensioner 41 can be engaged with the catch 36 and the lever 40can be actuated to move the latch assembly 92 to a latched position toremovably connect the components together. The tensioner 41 has a smallcavity 93 on the inside of the tensioner 41 that can allow a leverprotrusion 95 on the outside of the lever 40 to nest when the latchassembly 92 is in the locked position. This helps to keep the latchassembly 92 in the closed position and creates a snapping sound when thelatch assembly 92 is latched. Lever housing members 38 and 39 create ahinge for the lever to rotate around when opening and closing the latch.

Referring now to FIGS. 6, 8, 9 and 11, in some embodiments, the crate 50can include a ramp system that can be used to help roll or load cargointo the assembled crate 50. Ramps 8 can allow items to be rolled ontothe pallet base 5. In some embodiments, a pair of ramps 8 can beprovided that are removably disposable on the pallet base 5. Each ramp 8can include at least one ramp tooth 8 b at one end 8 a of the ramp 8that allows for the ramp tooth 8 b to be received or disposed in rampapertures 81 defined in the pallet base 5. In some embodiments, thecrate 50 can include a long side and a short side, and the rampapertures 81 can be defined in the short side of the crate 50. The rampteeth 8 b can help keep the ramps 8 from moving apart and helpcoordinate the location at which they connect to the pallet base 5.Reinforcing ribs 8 c may be connected of formed on the bottom of theramps 8 to provide additional support for extremely heavy objects beingloaded. The ribs 8 c may run the length of the ramp 8 and taper to offnear the beginning edge of the ramp 8 to allow the beginning of the ramp8 to sit flush on the ground. The reinforcing ribs 8 c can havecrosspieces 8 d that act as supports as well as nesting points fornesting with collapsed side wall assemblies 62 a and/or 62 b whenshipping the crates 50 back in a collapsed state, as shown in FIG. 20b .Referring again to FIGS. 6, 8, 9 and 11, the outside edges of the ramp 8may be bent up at a 90-degree angle to keep a cart-based device fromrunning off the edge of the ramp during loading. These edges may alsohelp support the stiffness of the ramp 8 surface.

The crate 50 in some embodiments can include a pair of channels 7removably receivable on the pallet base 7. The pallet channels 7 aredesigned to help support specific cargo like wheeled devices and deviceswith legs where the weight is specifically concentrated. The channels 7can be an extension of the ramps 8 in some embodiments wherein thechannels 7 can be aligned with the ramps 8, and vice versa, such thatwheeled devices can be rolled from the ramps 8 onto the channel 7. Eachchannel 7 can have a least one channel tooth that can be bent or extendat a 90-degree angle from the channel bearing surface. The teeth aredesigned to fit into corresponding channel apertures 83 defined in thepallet base 5. In some embodiments, the channel apertures 83 can runparallel to the short sides of the pallet base 5. The plurality ofchannel apertures 83 and ramp apertures 81 defined in the pallet base 5can allow pairs of channels 7 and ramps 8 to be placed on the palletbase 5 at different distances apart to support different cargo itemsthat have different distances between their supporting wheels or legs.The outside edges of the channel 7 are bent up at a 90-degree angle tolimit a cart-based device from rolling off the channel 7 onto theplastic surface of the pallet base 5.

The ramps 8 can be rotatable on the pallet base 5 via the ramp teeth 8 bwithin the ramp apertures 81. The ramp teeth 8 b can have a generallyrounded or curved shape to allow for rotation of the ramp 8 about theramp teeth 8 b within the ramp aperture 81. The ramp may include slits85. The slits 85 can allow the ramps 8 to be flipped over and seated onramp catches 87 on corresponding channels 7 when the crate 50 is beingshipped back empty. Once cargo is loaded into the crate 50, the ramps 8can be removed from the ramp apertures 81 and placed inside the crate 50during shipment of the cargo. In other embodiments, the ramps 8 can berotated upward to rest against the cargo during shipment. In still otherembodiments, the ramps 8 can simply be removed during shipping and anadditional set of ramps can be located at the desired shipping locationand the receiver of the crate 50 can place their own ramps 8 on thepallet base 5 for unloading of the cargo. In some embodiments, the ramps8 and the channels 7 can be removable from the pallet base 5 to form agenerally flat pallet base 5 surface to support non-wheeled cargo.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11a-11c , in some embodiments, theramp apertures 81 and the channel apertures 83 can be defined in themetal frame 11. FIG. 11 shows a metal plate 11 a connected adjacent themetal tubing of the metal frame 11 with the ramp apertures 81 andchannel apertures 83 cut out of the metal plate 11 a. The apertures 81and 83 in the plate allow for the teeth from the ramps and channel to befixed at different locations. In some embodiments, the ramp apertures 81and the channel apertures 83 can be offset from one another such thatmultiple ramp teeth 8 b received in the ramp apertures 81 and multiplechannel teeth 7 b received in the channel apertures 83 can form aninterlocking arrangement such that the ramp teeth 8 b and channel teeth7 b created a generally uniform transition area between the ramp 8 andthe channel 7. FIG. 11 shows a metal plate with various openings cut outof it that is connected to the metal support structure. The openings inthe plate allow for the protrusions from the ramps and channel to befixed at different locations.

FIG. 10 shows the fixation rail 9. The fixation rail 9 can be aremetallic and are extruded with a profile that allows for a nut, the headof a bolt or other adapter to slide the length of the rail 9. Twofixation rails 9 can be located along the long side of the pallet base 5in some embodiments. Different adapters can be mounted on and slid alongthe rail 9 to allow fixation of various cargo to the pallet base 5. Insome embodiments, the fixation rail 9 can include two opposing L-shapedflanges 9 a and a fixation channel defined between the two L-shapedflanges 9 a. In some embodiments, the fixation rail 9 can be shaped toreceive an edge of the ramps 8 to store the ramps 8 in the fixation rail9 during transport of the cargo.

The lid 66 is shown in FIG. 17 can include a large blow-molded shapethat fits the top of two side walls below it and a plurality of latches94 to keep the lid 66 connected to the enclosure frame. The top of thelid 66 has depressed areas 32 that correspond to the dimensions to thebottom of the risers on the pallet base 5 and allow the risers to nestin the depressed areas when stacking one crate on another. Each lid 66can have a number of latches 94 on the long side and the short side thatfirmly fix the lid 66 to the side wall. The bottom edge of the lid 66can also have cavities that correspond to the protrusions in the top ofthe side wall that allow the lid to nest onto the side wall and helpreduce movement in the horizontal plane. The lid 66 can include lidhandles 34 at each end of the lid 66 that allow for easier lifting andmovement. The lid 66 also can have depressed areas 35 running throughthe middle and perpendicular to the long side that allow for straps tobe put over the top and to nest in the depressed area 35 for helping toaffix the lid 66 or strap one container to another.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary guide protrusion 12 that is inserted into thepallet surface to allow it to nest with the side wall above it whenassembling the crate. The guide protrusions 12 can be aninjection-molded part. The similar protrusions along the top edge of theside walls are cast in place when the side walls are molded as opposedto being inserted in the pallet base.

The crate is designed to be taken apart and shipped back in a collapsedform. FIG. 20 depicts a single tier crate disassembled and collapsed.The stacking order consists of a pallet base 5 with channels 7 on top.The ramps 9 can be flipped over and nested on top of the channels. Sidewall assemblies 62 a and 62 b are removed from the pallet base 5 and arethen folded at the corners and nested onto the nesting points 8 c on theback of the ramps. Multiple side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b can bestacked on top of each other with stacking protrusions 23 being receivedin or nested within stacking recesses 24 between subsequent side wallassemblies 62 a and 62 b. On the top, the lid 66 nests on the collapsedsidewalls. In some embodiments, the lid 66 may have a sufficient heightsuch that the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 can fit within the lid 66and latch components of the latch assemblies 94 on the lid 66 can engagecorresponding latch components on the latch assemblies 92 on the palletbase 92 to secure the side wall assemblies 62 a and 62 b between the lid66 and the pallet base 5 in a flat stored orientation.

The basic unit for a standard server rack is three tiers tall, but canbe utilized effectively using anywhere from one to four tiers attachedto the base unit. A complete tier consists of two side wall assembliesput together on each side of the pallet base 5 or attached to the tierbelow it. FIG. 21 shows two single-tiered crates 50 stacked on top ofone another.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of shipping cargoincluding the steps of: at a first location, providing a crate having apallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosure frameremovably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosure framehaving one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another;placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo toa desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lidfrom the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from thepallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto oneanother to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking thefolded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; andtransporting the stacked crate back to the first location. In someembodiments, the crate further includes a tracking device disposed onthe pallet base, the tracking device operable to track a location of thecrate via a global positioning system, and the method further comprisestracking the location of the crate via the tracking device duringtransportation of the crate to and from the desired location.

Such a method can allow for the return and reuse of the modular shippingcrates disclosed herein. After use and unloading of the cargo, the cratecan be disassembled into a fraction of the volume of the assembled crateand then shipped back to a shipping vendor, where the crate can bereadily reassembled and reused to ship additional products. AdditionalBluetooth beacons can be placed in each component of the shipping cratesand communicated with a tracking device so it can be readily determinedif all components of a particular shipping crate have been returnedtogether.

While various aspects of the present invention have been particularlyshown and described with reference to the exemplary, non-limiting,embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various additional aspects and embodiments may be contemplatedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, a skilled artisan would understand that various materialscan be used to construct the shipping crate as well as using variousdimensions and configurations.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can beobtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A crate comprising: a pallet base; an enclosureframe having a first end and second end opposite the first end, thefirst end of the enclosure frame removably connectable to the palletbase to define a storage volume between the pallet base and theenclosure frame, the enclosure frame having four side walls forming fourcorners on the enclosure frame when the first end of the enclosure frameis connected to the pallet base, each of the side walls being pivotallyconnected to adjacent side walls at corresponding corners of theenclosure frame; and a lid removably connectable to the second end ofthe enclosure frame.
 2. The crate of claim 1, further comprising a firstplurality of latch assemblies operable to removably connect the firstend of the enclosure frame to the pallet base.
 3. The crate of claim 2,further comprising a second plurality of latch assemblies operable toremovably connect the second end of the enclosure frame to the lid. 4.The crate of claim 1, wherein when the enclosure frame is connected tothe pallet base, the enclosure frame includes first and second sidewalls positioned opposite one another on the pallet base and third andfourth side walls positioned opposite one another on the pallet base;wherein each of the third and fourth side walls include: a first sidewall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall; and a secondside wall portion pivotally connected to the second side wall; whereinthe first and second side wall portions are removably connectable to oneanother when the enclosure frame is connected to the pallet base.
 5. Thecrate of claim 4, further comprising: at least one third side wall latchassembly operable to removably connect the first side wall portion andthe second side wall portion on the third side wall together; and atleast one fourth side wall latch assembly operable to removably connectthe first side wall portion and the second side wall portion on thefourth side wall together.
 6. The crate of claim 1, wherein the fourside walls comprise a first tier of side walls of the enclosure frame,and the enclosure frame further comprises a second tier of four sidewalls, the second tier of side walls removably connectable to the firsttier of side walls, wherein the first tier of side walls defines thefirst end of the enclosure frame and is removably connectable to thepallet base and the second tier of side walls defines the second end ofthe enclosure frame and is removably connectable to the lid.
 7. Thecrate of claim 1, wherein the four side walls comprise a first tier ofside walls of the enclosure frame, and the enclosure frame furthercomprises: a second tier of four side walls, the second tier of sidewalls removably connectable on top of the first tier of side walls; anda third tier of four side walls, the third tier of side walls removablyconnectable on top of the second tier of side walls; wherein the firsttier of side walls defines the first end of the enclosure frame and isremovably connectable to the pallet base and the third tier of sidewalls defines the second end of the enclosure frame and is removablyconnectable to the lid.
 8. The crate of claim 1, further comprising afirst set of guide recesses on the first end of the enclosure frame, anda first set of guide protrusions on the pallet base, each of the guideprojections on the pallet base receivable in a corresponding guiderecess defined in the first end of the enclosure frame to align theenclosure frame on the pallet base.
 9. The crate of claim 8, furthercomprising a second set of guide recesses on the lid, and a second setof guide protrusions on the second end of the enclosure frame, each ofthe guide protrusions on the second end of the enclosure framereceivable in a corresponding guide recess defined in the lid to alignthe lid on the enclosure frame.
 10. The crate of claim 1, furthercomprising: a plurality of ramp apertures defined in the base; aplurality of corresponding channel apertures aligned with the aplurality of ramp apertures defined in the base; a pair of ramps, eachramp having a ramp end including at least one ramp tooth shaped to bereceived in a corresponding ramp aperture of the plurality of rampapertures in the pallet base; and a pair of channels, each channelhaving a channel end with at least one channel tooth shaped to bereceived in a corresponding ramp aperture of the plurality of rampapertures in the pallet base; wherein the ramp tooth of each ramp isdisposable in one of the ramp apertures and the channel tooth ofcorresponding channels is disposable in a corresponding channel aperturesuch that the ramps and the corresponding channel can be aligned withone another.
 11. The crate of claim 10, wherein: the ramps are rotatableon the pallet base via the at least one tooth of the ramp to rotate theramp onto the corresponding channel.
 12. The crate of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one fixation rail disposed on the pallet base, thefixation rail including two opposing L-shaped flanges and a fixationchannel defined between the two L-shaped flanges.
 13. The crate of claim1, wherein the enclosure frame can be removed from the frame and thelid, and folded at the corners to place the enclosure frame in a flatorientation such that the enclosure frame can be stored between the lidand the pallet base.
 14. The crate of claim 1, further comprising atracking device disposed on the pallet base, the tracking deviceoperable to monitor one or more of the following: a temperature insidethe crate; a humidity inside the crate; and/or a location of the cratevia a global positioning system.
 15. A crate comprising: a pallet base;a pair of side wall assemblies, each side wall assembly including: aside wall having a first side wall end and a second side wall end; afirst side wall portion pivotally connected to the first side wall end,and a second side wall portion pivotally connected to the second sidewall end; wherein the first side wall portions of each side wallassembly can be removably connected to each other and the second sidewall portions of each side wall assembly can be removably connected toeach other to form an enclosure frame including the first side wall, thesecond side wall, a third side wall including the first side wallportions, and a fourth side wall including the second side wallportions, the enclosure frame having a bottom end and a top end, thebottom end removably connectable to the pallet base; and a lid removablyconnectable to the top end of the enclosure frame.
 16. The crate ofclaim 15, further comprising: a first side wall latch assembly operableto removably connect the first side wall portions of the third side walltogether; a second side wall latch assembly operable to removablyconnect the second side wall portions of the fourth side wall together;and a plurality of pallet base latch assemblies operable to connect afirst end of the enclosure frame to the pallet base; wherein the firstand second side wall latch assemblies are oriented in a horizontaldirection and the plurality of pallet base latch assemblies are orientedin a vertical direction when the first end of the enclosure frame isconnected to the pallet base and the enclosure frame is positioned ontop of the pallet base.
 17. The crate of claim 15, wherein each of thefirst and second side wall portions further comprises: an outer surface,a handle recess defined in the outer surface; and a handle spanning thehandle recess such that the handle is substantially flush with the outersurface.
 18. The crate of claim 15, wherein the first and second sidewall portions of each of the side wall assemblies can be folded onto theside wall such that the side wall assemblies can be stacked between thepallet base and the lid for storing the crate when not in use.
 19. Amethod of shipping cargo comprising: at a first location, providing acrate having a pallet base, an enclosure frame, and a lid, the enclosureframe removably connected to the pallet base and the lid, the enclosureframe having one or more side walls pivotally connected to one another;placing the cargo in the crate; transporting the crate with the cargo toa desired location; unloading the cargo from the crate; removing the lidfrom the enclosure frame and removing the enclosure frame from thepallet base; folding the side walls of the enclosure frame onto oneanother to place the enclosure frame in a flat orientation; stacking thefolded enclosure frame between the pallet base and the lid; andtransporting the stacked crate back to the first location.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, wherein the crate further includes a tracking devicedisposed on the pallet base, the tracking device operable to track alocation of the crate via a global positioning system, and the methodfurther comprises tracking the location of the crate via the trackingdevice during transportation of the crate to and from the desiredlocation.